Activity 4.1 – US Environmental History and Major Regulations
Historical Summary
The United States has a very diverse and complicated history regarding the notion of environmental policy. The early American colonists saw the environment and its production of goods as something to be taken control of for personal needs and power. (Russell, E., & Fairfax, S. K. , 2014) This underhanded point of view towards the land extended through the Industrial Revolution and into the 20th century. Nonetheless, several key moments in American history have altered this type of treatment toward the environment.
A writer, named Jared Elliot from Connecticut wrote in the mid-18th century about how the people were taking the land for granted and not being well respected. (Theis, T., & Tomkin, J. 2018). At this point in time, the environment was indicating poor fecundity from being cultivated and maintained improperly. He educated uninvolved farmers on the subject of field husbandry and how to correctly maintain the soil and how to increase crop yield simultaneously. This was necessary for the farmers so they would start a trend and teach their fellow farmers and so on.
Former twenty-sixth president, Theodore Roosevelt, who served as President from 1901 to 1909, was a dedicated outdoorsman. He felt the need to show how we need to respect and love the environment for what it provides for us. He served an important topic of conservation and used his administrative powers to create wildlife refuges, national parks, and national forests. The creation of the National Park Service in 1916 was a prime accomplishment in American conservation history.
Environmental evolutionary issues started to come to light in the United States as the urban population began to rise. A huge health problem that took place as urbanization escalated was cholera. This was caused by vitiated drinking water rooted from waste being directly combined with the main source of the water without being decontaminated or purified. Due to the poor safety precautions, hundreds of people fell ill and died.
Due to the previous events, the well-being of the environment and public health as at risk. Several agencies within the government, such as the environmental protection agency (EPA), were formed in 1970 under President Richard Nixon (Russell et al. 2014). Once these government agencies were formed and granted the power to regulate, the pollution issue became more regulated. Soon after, laws were formed to protect the people and environment from further danger. One of the first major laws to pass was the Clean water act of 1956. (Russell et al. 2014). This act was formed to prevent our surface waters from being contaminated. Following this, several laws came into effect that protected the air, water, plants, and even animal life. our precious environment. This protection for the environment and public health would not be enacted and enforced to this day if it wasn’t for those who saw the issues and effects of our treatment of the environment. They saw a critical problem and fought for change, and we are nowhere near perfect, but we have a drive for perfection. That is all that is needed to make a difference.
References:
Russell, E., & Fairfax, S. K. (2014). Guide to U.S. Environmental Policy. CQ Press. Chapter 28, see specifically pp. 400 - 407.
Theis, T., & Tomkin, J. (Eds). (2018). Sustainability: A comprehensive foundation. OpenStax CNX. THEISandTOMKIN_Sustainability-a-Comprehensive-Foundation-45.1.pdf
Hello Mia
ReplyDeleteWith the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1970’s the United States have been trying to get ahead of the pollution issue. Just recently the EPA and the Biden administration have teamed up to propose new federal vehicle emission standards. This is to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the reliance of conventional vehicles. “Since President Biden took office, the number of EV sales has tripled while the number of available models has doubled. There are over 130,000 public chargers across the country – a 40% increase over 2020. The private sector has also committed more than $120 billion in domestic EV and battery investments since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law”.(EPA) The new emissions standards would affect vehicles models year 2027 and beyond.
According to the EPA the proposed change would avoid 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions. By adopting new technology that reduce fuel and maintenance cost the EPA project it can save the average consumer $12,000 over a conventional vehicle. This can also reduce the import of oil by 20 billion barrels. As technology increases electric vehicles will become readily available and will be cheaper and cleaner than conventional vehicles.
EPA Press Office, “Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Strongest-Ever Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks to Accelerate Transition to a Clean-Transportation Future.” United States environmental Protection Agency, April 12,2023, https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-proposes-strongest-ever-pollution-standards-cars-and
Hello, Mia; it was a pleasure reading your blog! One of the environmental policies you touched on in your blog was the clean water act (CWA). The main objective of CWA is to observe and manage discharges of pollutants in our water. In addition, CWA regulates quality standards for surface water. Section 401 of the clean water act states that any applicant obtaining a federal permit or license for activities that may obstruct a water body must gather a State Water Quality Certification. This ensures that the proposed activity follows and complies with state water quality standards. This was proposed in 2019 and was effective on September 11th, 2020. The CWA falls under EPA, the leading environmental protection agency. This final ruling was to update and clarify procedural requirements with the hope of “clarifying timeframes for certification; the scope of certification review and conditions, and related certification requirements and procedures”. Additionally, a new rule was passed under EPA that falls under CWA; it is called “Waters of the united states”, which was enforced by the Biden administration and took effect on March 20th, 2023. This rule intends to establish support for public health, environmental protection, and economic growth. Additionally, this rule will define which streams and wetlands are protected by the clean water act. This is important because this rule wants to regulate streams and wetlands, ensuring the water is non-polluted, but they need a clear definition of what defines wetlands and streams so that the water is not left under the jurisdiction of the state. In which said water can be polluted. This act is necessary and in many ways, is vital to overall prosperity. This act, with the addition of many more to come in the future, gives me hope; hope in what I once believed was a dim future.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
“Summary of the Clean Water Act .” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act.
“Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule.” Federal Register :: Request Access, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/13/2020-12081/clean-water-act-section-401-certification-rule.
EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/wotus/about-waters-united-states.
Fitterman, Su T. “Defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) - Environmental & Energy Law Program.” Harvard Law School, 12 Apr. 2023, eelp.law.harvard.edu/2017/09/defining-waters-of-the-united-states-clean-water-rule/.